Does that sound strange to you?
I mean we all know that upskilling refers to learning new skills, but what does that have to do with our well-being?
Defining Well-being
According to the “father” of Positive Psychology, Dr. Martin Seligman, well-being is the ability to feel good and be productive enough so you can thrive. Good well-being gives us the resources to navigate the highs and lows of life. It is thus created through leading a certain lifestyle, rather than implementing a set of tools. In 2015, Dr. Seligman came up with a PERMA approach to well-being:
P: Positive Emotion
E: Engagement
R: Relationships
M: Meaning
A: Accomplishment
How can Upskilling impact PERMA?
Smart Upskilling can impact one or more of the above strategies for better well-being.
First, upskilling is smart when the skill you have chosen to learn is an important skill for you. What I mean by that is the following: If the new skill you are working on is truly of interest to you as a person, then the act of upskilling will enhance your positive emotion, and may even take you a step further, into a state of flow and full engagement (P & E). On the other hand, if the skill you are up-taking is just to please someone else or just to fill your time, then the impact on your well-being is absent.
Second, smart upskilling can help you develop relationships. Who says that upskilling needs to be done alone? When you enroll in a group program or with friends or colleagues, this allows you to enhance your relationships and will thus lead to better well-being.
Third, smart upskilling is associated with your smart goals and aspirations. When the learned skills lead you to perform better on your goals and bring you one step closer to your aspirations, then this act will be filled with meaning and purpose. This of course will give you a direct boost to your well-being.
Last but not least, when the skill you have chosen to learn is quite challenging, then that is smart upskilling. Working hard on achieving a challenging task, fills you with a sense of accomplishment like never before. This will surely boost further your well-being. If the skill is devoid of challenge and easy to achieve, then it will rob you of that sense of achievement and therefore will not impact your well-being.
Four Points to Keep in Mind
So, to summarize, if you are looking to enhance your well-being through smart upskilling, then make sure to:
• Choose something meaningful to you
• Work with a group if possible
• Choose something related to your goals & aspirations
• Make it challenging
And enjoy the boost in your life!
